The present invention relates to the ignition of internal combustion engines and in particular to a catalytic ignition device for hydrogen fuel internal combustion engines.
Fossil fuels pose environmental and health challenges. Also, environmental regulations which require companies to develop complex and expensive emission controls have not been effective in completely eliminating the build-up of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide compounds in the atmosphere.
Conventional combustion technologies require carbon based fuel and an oxidizer to be ignited by a spark plug or heating element (e.g., glow plug) utilizing a magnetic/electrical coil or electrical feed. Generally ignition systems are required to provide an electrical signal, and these ignition systems often fail.
As an alternative to complex fossil fuels, hydrogen is gaining popularity in the world. Hydrogen is safe to use and abundant in nature. In a gaseous form, hydrogen chemically reacts with air to form water as the main product of an exothermic (energy releasing) reaction. The combustion of hydrogen and air delivers approximately 1.5 times more BTU than carbon fuel (e.g., gasoline). However, some form of efficient ignition is still required for hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines.